EXPOSURE TO HEPATITIS/ANEMIA

May 11, 2001

MY BROTHER DIED OF AIDS. I WENT OT VISIT HIM WHEN HE WAS IN ICU ABOUT TO DIE. I WENT IN WITHOUT A MASK ON MY FACE.
I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS SUPPOSE TO WEAR A MASK. I DIDN'T SEE THE SIGN AND THE NURSE DIDN'T TELL ME TO PUT ONE ON EVEN WHEN SHE ASKED ME TO HELP HER RAISE HIM UP. I HAD ON RUBBER GLOVES BUT HE WAS BREATHING THROUGH SOME INHALING MIST THING THAT SHOT OUT MIST. I WENT TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE THAT WAS SICK IN MY FAMILY AND HAD TO TAKE A BUNCH OF TESTS. THE DOCTOR
TOLD ME I HAD HIV. BUT I ASKED HIM WHAT? HE STOOD OUT IN THE OPEN AND IN FRONT OF A CO-WORKER TOLD ME THIS AND RETURN TALKING TO THE CO-WORKER. I TOOK THE REPORT TO MY DOCTOR AND ASKED MY DOCTOR TO CHECK. MY DOCTOR HAD ME DO IT THREE TIMES AND HE EVEN REPEATED THE SAME TESTS THIS DOCTOR DID AND CAME UP WITH NOTHING. MY DOCTOR SAYS I DON'T. MY MOTHER TOLD ME I HAVE HEPATITIS. MY DOCTOR SAID I HAVE NO CONTAGIOUS DISEASES--NOTHING THAT CAN BE PASSED ON. I AM ONLY ANEMIC AND HAVE BEEN SINCE A CHILD.
DID THIS HEPATISIS SHOW UP BECAUSE MY BROTHER WHO DIED OF IT WAS AND I WAS IN THAT ROOM WITHOUT A MASK AND HAVE BEEN THE ONE TAKING HIM TO THE DOCTOR? I'M ALSO GETTING LITTLE SCRATCHES ON MY ARM. WHAT IS GOING ON. COULD YOU GIVE ME SOME TRUTH. I DON'T HAVE ANY INSURANCE. I TRY TO REMEMBER TO TAKE MY FERROUS SULFATE IRON PILLS REGULARLY. I AM SUPPOSE TO TAKE 3 DAILY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I GENERALLY TAKE TWO
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO TAKE IT ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. AND I TAKE TWO IN THE MORNING SO I DON'T FORGET TO TAKE THEM.

Response from Dr. Rodriguez-Torres

Your question is not clear to me .Anyway let me say this:You cannot get HIV by visiting your brother.You need to check specifically for liver tests to document hepatitis.Anemia is not the same as Hepatitis.

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